1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a hand tool which can be caused to adjustably conform to the size and configuration of quadrilateral shapes to permit replication of said shapes upon a flat surface or within an aperture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the building trades and other applications there are instances where the exact size and configuration of the outer perimeter of a four-sided shape must be replicated. A typical example is in the cutting of an aperture in a wall to closely accommodate a through-going air-handling duct whose cross-sectional perimeter is defined by four straight sides in a substantially rectangular configuration. In another example, it is sometimes necessary to construct a conduit or other structure intended to pass through an existing, substantially rectangular aperture in a wall. The following U.S. patents disclose devices for measuring or adjustably accommodating structures of substantially rectangular shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,668 to Cyrell describes an adjustable framing system for securing an object such as a television set. The framing system is comprised of four rigid corner pieces and slidably adjustable side members that join said corner pieces to produce a confining aperture of strictly rectangular configuration, having four right-angle corners.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,598 to Boys discloses a template system for guiding drywall cutouts. Like the Cyrell patent, the template is comprised of four rigid corner pieces and slidably adjustable side members that join said corner pieces to produce an aperture of strictly rectangular configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,162 to Goin describes an expandable frame for stretching and holding a fabric. The frame consists of four frame rails held together by four corner pieces in a manner to produce a frame of adjustable rectangular size.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,681 to Douglas, et. al., concerns a frame of adjustable rectangular perimeter for securing a fly screen for windows and doors having an accommodating rectangular opening.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,327; 3,985,168 and Re34,374 disclose adjustable work-holding frames and a template for framing and cutting sheet materials. Each is restricted to strictly rectangular configurations and further involves portions that protrude outwardly at each corner. Such protrusions prevent use in applications wherein the frame must be inserted into a close fitting rectangular aperture.
The aforesaid framing and template devices lack the capability of conforming to shapes which, although four-sided, are not perfectly rectangular, such as trapezoidal shapes and substantially rectangular shapes having imperfections or irregularities in their angles and/or side lengths, or are otherwise asymmetric. Neither can many of the prior framing devices be inserted into an aperture to achieve measurement and replication of said aperture. A further shortcoming of the aforesaid measuring and framing devices is that they cannot be deployed upon a structure that is not accessible from either of the extremities, said extremities having features larger than the intervening structure sought to be replicated.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hand-manipulated apparatus for replicating the perimeter of a quadrilaterally shaped object or aperture.
It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus as in the foregoing object having a four sided frame structure capable of adjustably conforming to quadrilateral shapes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the foregoing nature capable of embracingly wrapping around quadrilaterally shaped objects.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a kit of components for fabricating said apparatus in various sizes to accommodate quadrilateral shapes of widely varied sizes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid nature of durable construction and amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.